diff --git a/utils/backup.sh b/utils/backup.sh
index 7531a6add07f716f6fc3be6210fa5b499c632d31..92a20c816832873e4634ddf97d9cc1b17a85e495 100755
--- a/utils/backup.sh
+++ b/utils/backup.sh
@@ -29,11 +29,10 @@ if [ -z "$UTILSPATH" ]; then
 	UTILSPATH="$(realpath $(dirname $0))"
 	export UTILSPATH
 fi
+
 # The directory which the dump is to be stored to. Do not change it here. Use
-# the --backupdir=./my/dir/ option or an environment variable instead.
+# the the environment variable instead.
 BACKUPDIR="${BACKUPDIR:-../backup}"
-PRINT_HELP="--backupdir=BACKUPDIR\n\tThe directory which the dump is to be stored to. (Defaults to ./backup,\n\tcan also be set as an environment variable.)\n"
-
 
 # Load settings from .config and defaults #####################################
 . $UTILSPATH/load_settings.sh
@@ -42,31 +41,23 @@ PRINT_HELP="--backupdir=BACKUPDIR\n\tThe directory which the dump is to be store
 . $UTILSPATH/helpers.sh
 
 function backup() {
-    NARG_NAME="$1"
-    NARG_FILE="$2"
-
-    shift 2
-	  # parameters: connection, database, outfile
-	  if [ -e "$NARG_FILE" ]; then
-		    failure "dumpfile already exists."
-	  fi
-    echo "Dumping database $NARG_NAME to $NARG_FILE ... "
-	  $MYSQLDUMP_CMD $(get_mysql_args_nodb) $* --opt --default-character-set=utf8 --routines \
-                    "$NARG_NAME" > "$NARG_FILE"
-
-	  success
-}
+    database="$1"
+    backupdir="$2"
 
+    # Assert backup dir
+    mkdir -p "$backupdir"
+    datastring=$(date -u --rfc-3339=ns | sed 's/ /T/g')
+    backupfile=${BACKUPDIR}/${DATABASE_NAME}.${datastring}.dump.sql
 
+    if [ -e "$backupfile" ]; then
+        failure "dumpfile already exists."
+    fi
 
-## test if dump file exists
-#touch dumpfile.tmp
-#backup 0 1 2 "dumpfile.tmp"
-#rm dumpfile.tmp
+    echo "Dumping database $database to $backupfile ... "
+    $MYSQLDUMP_CMD $(get_mysql_args_nodb) --opt --default-character-set=utf8\
+          --routines  "$database" > "$backupfile"
 
-# Assert backup dir
-mkdir -p "$BACKUPDIR"
+    success
+}
 
-DATE=$(date -u --rfc-3339=ns | sed 's/ /T/g')
-BACKUPFILE=${BACKUPDIR}/${DATABASE_NAME}.${DATE}.dump.sql
-backup $DATABASE_NAME $BACKUPFILE
+backup $DATABASE_NAME $BACKUPDIR